The Holy City, Commentary · Chapter 21 · Verse 14
Vers. 14.
And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations, and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
In these words we have two thingsThe foundations of the Wall. considerable:
1. That the City-Wall hath twelve Foundations.
2. That in these twelve, are the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
First, It hath twelve Foundations: This argueth invincible strength and support. That Wall that hath but one Foundation, how strongly doth it stand, if it be but safely laid upon a Rock! even so strong…y,Mat. 7. 24, 25. that neither Wind nor Weather in their greatest vehemency, are able to shake or stir it, to make it fall: but I say, how much more when a City hath Foundations, twelve Foundations, and those also laid by God himself; as it is said concerning the Worthies of old, They looked for a City that had Foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God, Heb. 11. 13, 14.
And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations, and in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
The Wall, you know, I told you, is the Wall of Salvation, or the Safety of the Church by Jesus Christ; to which is adjoyned, as the effect of that, the special Providence and Protection of God: Now this Wall, saith the Holy Ghost, hath twelve Foundations, to wit, to bear it up for the continuation of the safety and security of those that are the Inhabitants of this City; a Foundation is that which beareth up all, and that upon which the stress of all must lie and abide: Now to speak properly, the Foundation of our Happiness is but one, and that one none but the Lord Jesus; for other Foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 3. 11. So then, when he saith the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations, and that in them also are written the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb; he doth not mean that this Wall had twelve Christs for its support, but, That the Doctrine of the It is the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles that holds up the Wall of New Jerusalem.twelve Apostles is that Doctrine upon which both Christ, and Grace, and all Happiness standeth firm and sure for ever: and to signifie also, that neither Christ nor any of his Benefits can be profitable unto thee, unless thou receive him alone upon the terms that they do hold him forth and offer him to Sinners in their Word and Doctrine: If we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach unto you any other Gospel, saith Paul, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed: As I said before, so I say now again, If any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed, Gal. 1. 8, 9.
And in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
And in them their Names:] This makes it manifest that by the Foundations of this Wall, we are to understand the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lord Christ, for their Names are to it, or found ingraved in the Foundations. Thus it was with the Doctrine which was the Foundation of the Jewish Church: the first Pattern being delivered by the man Moses; his Name was always so entailed to that Doctrine, that at last it became common, and that by Divine Allowance, to call that Doctrine by the name of Moses himself: There is one that accuseth you, saith Christ, even Moses in whom you trust: and again, For Moses of old hath in every City them that preach him. John 5. 45. Act. 15. 21. The same liberty of speech doth the Holy Ghost here use in speaking of the Foundations of this Wall, which is the Doctrine of the Twelve. And in that he calleth the Doctrine by the Name of Foundations, and leaveth it onelyonly with telling us the Names of the twelve Apostles are engraven in it; he expects that men should be wise that read him, and that they should be skilful in the Word of Righteousness, if they come up clearly to the understanding of him.
And in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Thus you see that the twelve Apostles,The Doctrine of the XII, the purest of all other. above all the Servants of Christ, are here owned to be the foundations of this Wall; and good reason, for they above all other are most clear and full in the Doctrine of Grace, and all Doctrines pertaining to Life and Holiness: In other Ages, saith Paul, it was not made known to the Sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit, Ephes. 3. 5. Moses was not fit for this, for his was a more dark and vailed Administration; While Moses is read, the Vail is over the 2 Cor. 3. 13, 14, 15.Heart, saith Paul: Neither was any of the Prophets fit for this, for they were all inferiour to Moses, and were as itNum. 12. 6, 7. were his Scholars: Nay, John the Baptist is here shut out; for the least in the Kingdom Mat. 11. 11.of Heaven is greater then he.
The Apostles above all other were the men that were with the Lord Jesus all the time, from the Baptism of John, even until the time he was taken up into Heaven; they saw him, heard him, and discoursed with him, and were BeholdersLuk. 24. 39, 40. of all the wondrous Works that he did; they did eat and drink with him after his Passion, and saw after he was risen, the print of the Nails and the Spear with which he was peirced, when he died for our Sins: And because they had seen,The XII went beyond all others in their Experience. felt, and at such a rate experienced all things from the very first, both touching his Doctrine, Miracles, and Life; therefore he said unto them in chief, Ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the utmost parts of the Earth, Act. 1. 21. & 13. 31. & 10. 39. & 2. 31. 1 Joh. 1. 2, 3. Act. 1. 8.
Further, The Apostles were in that marvellous manner indued with the holy Ghost, that they out-stript all the Prophets that ever went before them; neither can I believe that in the best of times there should be any beyond them; yet if it should so fall out, that a Dispensation should come, in which they should have, as to the pouring forth of the Spirit, their Equals; yet it could not follow, that therefore the Gospel should be offered in other terms than they at first have offered it; especially besides what hath been said of them, if you consider to them 'twas said, Whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth, shall be loosed in Heaven; and whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven, Matth. 18. 18. they, as to their Doctrine, were infallible, 'twas impossible they should err; he that despised their Doctrine, despised1 Thess. 3. 8. God himself: Besides, they have given in commandment that all should writeGal. 1. 8. The foundation may not be altered. after their Coppy, and that we should judge both Men and Angels that did, or would do otherwise.
Timothy must have his Rule from Paul, and so must holy Titus: All which, if we consider it, the holy Ghost speaks to the purpose, in saying, That in the twelve Foundations are found the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb: they are called the chief, and such as have laid the Foundation, and others build thereon: and that as no men have laid the Foundation but they, so none can lay even that Foundation otherwise then they afore have laid it, 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ephes. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 3. 6, 10. Heb. 6. 1, 2, 3. 1 Cor. 3. 11.
—And in them the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
These words then, teach us two things worthy of our Christian Consideraration.
First, That God hath given to every man a certain and visible mark to aim at for his Salvation, or to build his Soul upon, namely, The Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb: for in that he saith their Names are in the Foundations, it is better for us (all things considered) then if he had said, In them was the Name of God himself; that is, it is more easie to see (this way) through the mist of our Carnality what the Mystery of his Will should be, which is, that we receive Christ according to their Doctrine, Words, Writings, Epistles, Letters, &c. their Names, I say, being there,The Names of the XII, as the Broad Seal of Heaven. God counts it as the Broad Seal of Heaven, which giveth Authority to all that Doctrine whereunto by themselves they are prefixed and subscribed; not where they are writ by others, but by themselves I say, as the Token of every Epistle, and of2 Thess. 3. 17. their Doctrine for Truth; the whichGal. 6. 11. Paul insinuates, when he saith, that his 1 Cor. 9. 1hand is the Token of every Epistle: as heGal. 5. 2. saith again, Am not I an Apostle? And2 Cor. 11. 5. again, Behold, I Paul have written unto Gal. 6. 11.you; I Paul, I an Apostle, I a wise Master-Builder, I who am in my Doctrine one of the Foundations of the Wall of Salvation, I have written unto you. And, as I said before, there is a reason it should be thus; for as he who was the Foundation of the Jewish Church, even Moses, received the Pattern of all his Order from the Mouth of the Angel in Mount Sinai, so the twelve received their Doctrine of Faith and Manners, the Doctrine of the New Testament, from the Mouth of the Son of God himself, as from the Mouth of the Angel of the everlasting Covenant, on the Mountain of Zion, Act. 7. 38. & 1. 3. Matth. 28. 19.
Secondly, In that he saith, The Names of the Twelve are in the Foundations, this shews us the reason of the continual standing of this Jerusalem; it is builded upon the Doctrine of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, and standeth there: for observe, so long as he sees this holy City, he sees her standing upon these Foundations; but he saw the City till she was taken up, therefore she continued as being settled for ever upon them. Indeed the Primitive City, or first Churches, was built upon these Foundations,Ephes. 2. and had also so long as they there continued, sufficient supportation & upholding by that means; but then, as I have shewed you, the Wall of her Salvation, and the Wall of Gods special Protection stood at a distance each from other, and were not so conjoyned as now they will be: wherefore they then, to answer the Type, did fall into the Ditch that was between, and through their Foolishness provoked God to remove the Wall of his outward Protection and Safeguard from them; whereupon the wild Beast, Antichrist, got into his Vineyard, making havock of all their Dainties: But mark, this City is not so, the Walls are now conjoyned, and for ever fastened upon the Foundations, therefore it abides for ever, and ascends higher and higher; yet not from the Foundations but by them into Heaven: Behold, saith God, I have graven Isa. 49. 16thee upon the Palms of my Hands, thy Walls are continually before me.
And in them the Names of the twelve A. postles of the Lamb.
This word twelve, must be warily understood, or else the weak will be ready to stumble and take offence; wherefore to prevent this, consider,
First, The Twelve must be themHow you are to understand the word Twelve. Twelve that were with the Lord Jesus from the Baptism of John, until the day in which our Lord was taken up, Act. 1. 22.
Secondly, These Twelve are not neither to be considered simply, as twelve Christians, or twelve Disciples; but as their Witness of the Lord Jesus (they being with him from first to last) was a Twelve-fold Witness of him in all his things; a twelve-fold seeing with their Eyes, a twelve-fold hearing with their Ears, a twelve-fold handling also with their Hands, and feeling of the Son of God: As one of them said, That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our Eyes, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life; that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye might have fellowship with us, &c. 1 John 1. 1, 2, 3. Now this being thus, it followeth that the Doctrine of the other Apostles, as of Paul and Barnabas, was still but the Doctrine of the Twelve; their Doctrine, I say, and no other: Wherefore as Ephraim and Manasseh were dissolved into the twelve Tribes, so these two, with all other the Apostles of Christ, are dissolved into the Number of the Twelve, because their Doctrine is onelyonly the Doctrine of the twelve; for they center in their Doctrine; their length and breadth, and depth and heighth being the Doctrine of the Twelve. So then the names of the Twelve being found in the Foundations of this Wall, it argueth that that Doctrine is onelyonly true, that is the Doctrine of the twelve Eye-Witnesses of the Lord Jesus: And again, That at the day of Antichrists fall, this Doctrine shall be in its former purity, and bear the sway, and for ever hold up the Wall of safety, for the Inhabitants of New Jerusalem: And indeed this▪ Doctrine, That the Doctrine of the Twelve is that upon which Eternal Safety is built and stands, is so true, that it must not be varied from, upon pain of Eternal Damnation: Here centred Luke the Evangelist, here centred Jude, here centred the Author to the Hebrews, yea, here centred Paul himself, with all the Old and New Testament▪ The Doctrine of the Twelve must be the Opener, Expounder and Limiter of all Doctrines; there also must all men center and ground, and stay. A man may talk of, yea, enjoy much of the Spirit of God; but yet the Twelve will have the start of him; for they both had the Spirit as he, and more then he: besides, they together with this, did feel, see, handle and receive Conviction, even by their very carnal Senses, which others did not; besides, their Names also are found in the Foundations of this saving Wall, as being there engraved by GOD himself; which putteth all out of doubt, and giveth us infallible ground that their Doctrine is onelyonly true, and all mens false that do not keep within the bounds and limits of that, Luk. 1. 2. Jude 3. 17. Heb. 2. 3, 4. 1 Cor. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. & 9. 1. Gal. 1. 1, 2. Ephes. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 9.
To conclude: Here is yet two things worthy of noting:
The first is, That by the Names of the twelve Apostles being in the Foundations of this Wall, and the Names of the twelve Tribes being upon the Gates of this City, it giveth us to consider, that at the time of the building of this City, the Jews and Gentiles shall be united together,Rom. 11. and become one Body: which veryJam. 1. 1. Consideration must needs be to the Jews1 Pet. 1. 1. a great incouragement to have in mindAct. 13. 16, 26. at their Conversion: for it plainly signifiethRom. 1. 16 that our New-Testament-PreachersRom. 2. 10 shall carry in their Mouths, Salvation to the Jews; by which means they shall be again reconciled, and made one with the Lord Jesus.
The second Consideration is, That atNo Preacher now allowed, but he that can preach the Doctrine of the XII. the day of New Jerusalem, there shall be no Doctrine accepted, nor no Preachers regarded, but the Doctrine, and the Preachers of the Doctrine of the Twelve: for in that he saith, That in them are found the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, he doth implicitely exclude all other, of whatever Tribe they pretend themselves: It shall not be then as now, a Popish Doctrine, a Quakers Doctrine, a Prelatical Doctrine, and the Presbyter, Independant, and Anabaptist, thus distinguished, and thus confounding and destroying: but the Doctrine shall be one, and that one the Doctrine where you finde the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb: If any man teach otherwise, and consenteth not to wholesome Words, even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine that is according to Godliness, he is proud, and knoweth nothing, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4.
Thus you see the Doctrine of the Twelve is that which letteth Souls into this City; and that the same Doctrine is the Doctrine that keepeth up the Wall of their Salvation about them, when they are entred in within the Gates.